Combined closure and support construction



Feb. 14, 1967 EDELMAN ETAL 3,304,039

COMBINED CLOSURE AND SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION Filed June 25, 1965 INVENTORJ' %1/0 ew 75252 5,466) {05 M44/ 13% Z M ;K

United States Patent 3,304,039 COMBINED CLOSURE AND SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION Barry Edelman, 2811 Gravesend Neck Road, Brooklyn,

N.Y. 11229, and Andrew Perez, 2011 18th St., As-

toria,N.Y. 11102 Filed June 23, 1965, Ser. No. 466,227 1 Claim. (Cl. 248108) The present invention relates generally to the storage of containers and in particular to a combined hook and cap construction for storing tubes of toothpaste.

In conventional types of tube containers for toothpaste there generally is not provided any means for easily storing such containers when they are not being used. Accordingly, conventional toothpaste tubes require storage in inaccessible locations such as medicine cabinets or shelves. This results in valuable storage space being expended, as well as placing the tooth-paste tube in a location removed from the toothbrushes which are usually suspended on a rack nearby the medicine cabinet. Thus, a more advantageous place to store toothpaste tubes is afforded by the rack arrangement which is generally provided for the storage of tooth brushes. This conventional type of toothbrush rack is usually intergrated with a counter-sunk shelf for holding a small cup and the outer periphery of the shelf is provided with series of apertures or slots in which the toothbrushes are maintained in a vertical position during storage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cap for use with a container of toothpaste which includes a hook portion extending from the cap which can be utilized to suspend the tube of toothpaste for storage in the holes of a conventional toothbrush rack.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush cap assembly for storing tubes of toothpaste without occupying appreciable storage space, and yet placing the tubes of toothpaste in an easily accessible location.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating objects and features of the present invention, there is provided a combined hook and cap construction for use with a container of paste substance. The container is formed from sheet like material capable of being deformed for dispensing the paste substance and the cap is removably secured to the container at the open end thereof. The cap includes an L-shaped member integrally formed therewith. The L-shaped member includes a horizontal arm laterally extending from the cover and a vertical arm extending from the free end of the horizontal :arm substantially perpendicular to the plane of the vertical arm. Thus, the L-shaped member is capable of serving as hook means for suspending the container for storage when the container is not being used.

The above brief description as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment, in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accom ice FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hook and cap of FIG. 2 shown suspended from a toothbrush rack, on which there also is suspended a toothbrush; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows with portions of the rack and hook being broken away.

Referring now to the drawings and specifically to FIG. 3, there is shown a conventional toothbrush rack R having a series of slots or apertures S, generally provided for the storage of toothbrushes B. The combined closure and support construction 10 is shown mounted on a toothpaste tube T, and suspended on the toothbrush rack R in one of the slots S.

The combined closure and support construction 10 includes a cap section 12 and hook means 14 in the form of an integral arm extending laterally and downwardly from the cap section 12. The cap section 12 is of generally cylindrical configuration and is formed with a hollow internal cavity 16 and orifice 18 at the lower surface of cap section 12 which is in communication with the cavity 16. The cavity 16 of cap section 12 is bounded by a cylindrical wall 20 and circular top wall 22.

Appropriate means are provided to removably secure the cap section 12 to the neck, designated N. This is accomplished by forming internal threads 24, on the inner portion of cylindrical wall 20, which are complimentary to external threads E formed on neck N.

The hook means 14 is of a general L-shaped configuration and includes a first horizontal arm 26 which extends laterally from the cylindrical wall 20 at circular top wall 22, and a second vertical arm 28 which extends downwardly from the free end of horizontal arm 26, substantially perpendicular with respect to the plane of horizontal arm 26. The horizontal arm 26 and vertical arm 28 are integrally interconnected by a curved bight 30.

By referring to FIG. 3 it will be appreciated that the storage and accessability of the toothpaste tube T is greatly enhanced by means of the combined closure and support construction 10. Thus, when the cap section 12 is mounted on the neck N it is possible to store the toothpaste tube T in the same manner as the toothbrush B. Accordingly, the vertical arm 28 is merely inserted in the slot S with the bottom face of horizontal arm 26 being coextensive with the upper surface of the toothbrush rack R proximate to the slot S as seen in FIG. 3. The removal from storage of the toothpaste tube T is likewise accomplished with the same ease as the storage thereof. Accordingly, it is a simple matter to remove the toothpaste tube T from the toothbrush rack R by pulling upward, thereby sliding vertical arm 28 out of the slot S. Thus, the combined closure and support 10 is mountable on a toothbrush rack for supporting a tube of toothpaste in a vertical orientation and for releasably sealing the toothpaste aperture.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claim be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What we claim is:

A combined closure and support for a toothpaste tube having a threaded neck, said closure being threaded for detachable connection to said tube, said closure having a laterally extending arm integrally formed therewith, a second arm extending downwardly from said laterally extending arm and integral therewith and spaced from said closure, said downwardly extending arm being sufli ciently dimensioned to be accommodated in a toothbrush slot formed in a conventional bathroom toothbrush bracket and being of such length as to extend below such slot to-supportsaid closure and support in said bracket slot whereby the toothpaste tube can be separated from said closure and its contents dispensed.

5 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,644 5/1945 Stroben 248224 X D. 63,549 12/1923 Baker 248111 X D. 190,467 6/1961 Stansberry 21165 X 10 1,206,660 11/1916 Boisseau 248108 1,452,761 4/1923 Roberts 248108 1/1940 Moore 248108 2/1953 F=azakerley 248311 1/1956 Reams 248108 X 10 /1959 Doyle 248359 X 4/1965 Balint et a1. 222105 6/1965 Miles 222105 FOREIGN PATENTS 1/1959 France.

12/1940 Germany.

8/ 1953 Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

